The Space Development Agency has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to build 18 space vehicles as part of its Tranche 2 Tracking Layer constellation. Lockheed Martin will provide 16 wide field-of-view missile warning/missile tracking space vehicles with infrared sensors and two space vehicles with missile defense infrared sensors that can generate fire control-quality tracks to provide preliminary missile defense mission capabilities. This firm-fixed-price, other transaction agreement has a total potential value of $890 million.
The T2 Tracking Layer will accelerate the capability to provide global, persistent indications, detection, warning, tracking, and identification of conventional and advanced missile threats, including hypersonic missile systems. It will also deliver preliminary missile defense capability by incorporating fire control quality sensors in the constellation.
“As missile threats increase from around the world, we fully support the proliferated space architecture the SDA is building to protect our nation and allies,” said Michael Corriea, vice president of Warning Programs at Lockheed Martin Space. “We’ve made a significant investment in digital and production technologies, and with our experience supporting SDA spacecraft, we’re looking forward to delivering the next level of capability.”
Each Lockheed Martin-built T2 Tracking Layer satellite will incorporate a Terran Orbital bus and an infrared missile tracking payload provided by General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems - Optical Sensor Systems. The satellites also will be equipped with SmartSat, Lockheed Martin's software platform that makes it easier to dynamically add and quickly change missions in orbit through simple application uploads.
The 18 T2 spacecraft will be assembled, integrated, and tested in Lockheed Martin's new small satellite Colorado-based processing facility, designed for the high-volume delivery of complete satellites. Lockheed Martin also is leveraging its proven Horizon Command & Control and Compass Mission Planning software on both of the SDA’s missions, enabling mission-critical capabilities – including orbit management, autonomous operations and formation flying – for small, medium or large constellations.
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